Tuesday 6 December 1664

Up, and in Sir W. Batten’s coach to White Hall, but the Duke being gone forth, I to Westminster Hall, and there spent much time till towards noon to and fro with people. So by and by Mrs. Lane comes and plucks me by the cloak to speak to me, and I was fain to go to her shop, and pretending to buy some bands made her go home, and by and by followed her, and there did what I would with her, and so after many discourses and her intreating me to do something for her husband, which I promised to do, and buying a little band of her, which I intend to keep to, I took leave, there coming a couple of footboys to her with a coach to fetch her abroad I know not to whom. She is great with child, and she says I must be godfather, but I do not intend it. Thence by coach to the Old Exchange, and there hear that the Dutch are fitting their ships out again, which puts us to new discourse, and to alter our thoughts of the Dutch, as to their want of courage or force. Thence by appointment to the White Horse Taverne in Lumbard Streete, and there dined with my Lord Rutherford, Povy, Mr. Gauden, Creed, and others, and very merry, and after dinner among other things Povy and I withdrew, and I plainly told him that I was concerned in profit, but very justly, in this business of the Bill that I have been these two or three days about, and he consents to it, and it shall be paid. He tells me how he believes, and in part knows, Creed to be worth 10,000l.; nay, that now and then he [Povy] hath three or 4,000l. in his hands, for which he gives the interest that the King gives, which is ten per cent., and that Creed do come and demand it every three months the interest to be paid him, which Povy looks upon as a cunning and mean tricke of him; but for all that, he will do and is very rich. Thence to the office, where we sat and where Mr. Coventry came the first time after his return from sea, which I was glad of. So after office to my office, and then home to supper, and to my office again, and then late home to bed.

Communicates various naval advices received from Plymouth, and from Malaga. Mentions the King's desire that some of the runaways should be punished by martial law on shipboard. Adds that he finds that some, who are "prevalent in Council, are against the Embargo", But, without it, it will, he fears, be "hard work to get men". ...

Instructs him to issue orders to all Commanders of his Majesty's ships, who are not already so ordered, for the seizure, or if need be, for the destruction, of all ships whatsoever belonging to the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

"So by and by Mrs. Lane comes and plucks me by the cloak to speak to me, and I was fain to go to her shop, and pretending to buy some bands made her go home, and by and by followed her, and there did what I would with her, and so after many discourses and her intreating me to do something for her husband, which I promised to do, and buying a little band of her, which I intend to keep to, I took leave, there coming a couple of footboys to her with a coach to fetch her abroad I know not to whom. She is great with child, and she says I must be godfather, but I do not intend it."

Not to belabor the obvious, where Jeannnine has been so succinct, but it IS difficult not to be judgmental about these episodes with women over whom he maintains some [dishonest] power. But there is also his web of dealings for the office in which he takes a cut. Today he reveals himself to be 'cunning' in the very manner he criticizes in others.

Let me (carefully) put a proposition that there is a difference between Mrs Lane and Mrs Bagwell. Wanting Sam to be the child's godfather, Betty Lane seems to think, perhaps unwisely, that she has (or maybe she wants) a long term relationship with Sam, whereas Mrs B was I think chillingly exploited. Sam performs the ultimate caddish act with Mrs B. in that at the end of doing what he would with her in the back room of a blind alehouse, there is still no job for her husband. As Rick said to the young wife in similar circumstances in Casablanca, when asked if the cop would keep his word and issue letters of transit afterwards, he always has done before. Morality of a sort.

It's interesting to contrast Sam's two female acquaintances...Betty, who seems well able to handle him and makes her own demands and desires felt; Mrs. Bagwell, who may (or may not) be an unwilling victim to Sam's lust and newfound enjoyment of power and her husband's ambition/desperation. As I've said of course even if Mrs. B. has happily planned out her campaign Pepys with her husband in detail, she remains Sam's victim whereas Betty seems to be eagerly pressing herself on Sam, and to be, at least to some limited extent, a friend.

Sam is a man of many lights and shadows but I am puzzled by his callousness towards Mrs. B's protests. I can't help wondering if in fact it reflects some awareness on his part that he is being played by the Bagswells, at least by William. Vanity might possibly be holding him back from revealing information that would show him a bit more of a gull than the scheming seducer. Certainly I can't believe Mrs. B is suffering all this in silence and not at least discussing Mr. P's unwanted attentions with her husband. And again, it doesn't let Sam off the hook to suggest he may not be as in control as he would have us believe.

Since Mrs. Lane is pregnant, she needn't worry about any repercussions with Sam (although he may be infertile). I think that by asking Sam to be the child's godfather, she is trying to hitch her child's fortunes to someone who appears to be a rising star. I agree that the balance of power and/or using of each other seems more equal here than with poor Mrs. B.

Do we know for a fact that William Bagwell didn't receive any benefit from his wife's actions? Or has Sam simply neglected to mention his 'payment for services rendered' in his diary? Sam seemed willing enough to do his part back on Oct 20.

Somewhere someone days:Dodman Point, one of the highest land marks along the coast, lies just to the southwest of Gorran Haven. The peninsula was once a large iron-age promontory fort.From Dodman Point, there are spectacular views of both St Austell and Veryan Bays.

"Dodman" relates to prehistoric surveyors (The Long Man of Wilmington is a Dodman) and the interesting but arcane subject of Ley Lines which criss cross all of Britain and predate Stonehenge.